It makes me happy that diversity is becoming more common, but really... It's ridiculous that we still see so few dancers of color that we're surprised to see them! Sometimes it really does seem ballet is stuck firmly in the past. In what other art forums would a post like this even exist?

(Sorry I have no answers for you; I'm sure one of our many New Yorkers will be able to help you!)

In the cast I saw of PNB's "Nutcracker" the party children looked like a mini United Nations reunion. In the toy house (to the Mother Ginger music), which uses more advanced, although not yet Professional Division students, it made me want to weep at the contrast.

You might find it interesting to Google Olivia Boisson. There are a lot of interesting photos and her Facebook site has posts available to non friends. She is a New Yorker of Haitian descent who attended LaGuardia Arts High School.

Thank you. There's a tiny human close to me who has fallen in love with ballet. I want her to know about role models who look like her.

You might help your tiny human find out about Debra Austin. She was one of my favorite NYCB dancers in the 1970's. Balanchine choreographed a great solo for her in Ballo Della Regina. She now is a ballet mistress for the Carolina Ballet

NYCB has had a number of black dancers, both male and female, including two principals (both male) - Arthur Mitchell and Andre Evans. Some of the past black female dancers include Debra Austin, as mentioned above, Andrea Long, Aesha Ash, Myrna Kamara, and Cynthia Lochard.

Olivia Boisson is a very talented new corps member who I think may really move up.